1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an assembly of a gate system limited by lateral boundaries to provide an animal access to a space.
The invention also relates to a control device for the assembly, a method of providing an animal access to space, and a computer program product stored on a computer-readable medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Gate control systems are used to sort, move or distribute livestock in groups in a controlled manner. In systems of this type, the animals wanting to move through the gate system from one space to another space are identified and, depending on the identification and on data linked to the identification, the animal is allowed through the gate system or, for example, is led to a specific selected space.
A gate control system of this type is known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,144. In this patent document, a device is described for sorting animals. The device comprises a first electronic sensor for scanning the animals and at least one downstream sorting gate movable back and forth in accordance with indicators. The indicators identify the animals detected by the first sensor. The device provides alternating access to one of at least two exits connected to the gate control system. The device also comprises an entrance gate disposed upstream of the sorting gate, wherein the entrance opens or closes in response to animal-identification indicators detected by a second sensor. The distance between the second sensor and the first sensor is between 2 and 8 meters and is selected in such a way that the entrance gate closes at the proper time. The entrance gate preferably remains open and is only closed if an animal with a different indicator is detected. Following the closing of the entrance gate, the detained animal is scanned by the first sensor near the entrance gate and the sorting gate is set to the desired position, after which the entrance gate is again opened.
A disadvantage of the gate control system as described above is that the opening and closing of the entrance gate is not performed reliably and, as a result, an animal is led in an unwanted manner through the gate to the wrong exit of the at least two exits, or an animal is crushed between the entrance gate and/or the sorting gate.